The present invention relates generally to a silage cutter and more particularly to a silage cutter and loader capable of lateral movement.
Silage and other agricultural materials are commonly stored in bunkers or specially constructed trenches. These bunkers can be built to satisfy any required storage capacity, and widths of up to three-hundred feet are not uncommon. Stored material is packed tightly into the bunker, and the exposed outer surface cures and protects the interior silage from spoilage and weathering. Manual removal of the material can allow sprawling, air infiltration and increased spoilage. Manual removal is also time consuming, labor intensive and can become difficult in colder temperatures when the material is frozen.
Machines specifically designed to remove agricultural material from bunkers are well known in the art. U.S. Pat. No. 3,121,488 describes a silage cutter that removes a section of material from the front of a bunker. It utilizes a vertically moving, revolving cutter head mounted on a horizontally moving frame. The machine is positioned in front of the bunker and the cutter head is lowered, thus removing a section of material. Removed material is moved to a container by a conveyor. The horizontally moving frame is then shifted laterally and the cutter head is lowered again. This continues until the frame has traveled the substantial width of the machine, wherein the entire machine is backed away from the bunker and repositioned adjacent to the first position. The removal operation is again performed, and the repositioning will continue until material has been removed from the entire width of the bunker.
Existing silage cutters convey removed material away from the bunker, wherein a separate container must be positioned to catch the conveyed material. The container is typically placed directly behind the silage cutter. Difficulty arises each time the silage cutter must be repositioned. The container must first be moved clear of the silage cutter""s path. The silage cutter must be backed away from the bunker, then turned and driven forward to the new position. Once it is in place, the container must be moved into the correct position to catch the material. The sequence of operations required creates difficulty for a single person to effectively remove silage from a bunker.
The difficulty of operations has induced many bunker owners to use construction or landscaping equipment, such as a front-end loader or payloader, to remove silage. The greater mobility of a front-end loader allows faster removal of silage without the need to move the container. Unfortunately, the use of such machinery creates sprawling of the silage and air infiltration, while at the same time reducing the ability to monitor the volume of silage removed.
Accordingly, there is a need for an apparatus capable of cleanly removing a known amount of silage off the front of a bunker, that is also capable of lateral movement. The ability to remove an amount of silage equal to the width of the apparatus with a single motion will also increase efficiency.
According to the present invention, the foregoing and other objects and advantages are attained by providing an apparatus capable of removing silage from a bunker, having power driven wheels that are capable of turning about a vertical axis to the point of allowing powered lateral movement.
A further object of the present invention is the ability to remove an amount of silage substantially equal to the width of the apparatus in a single motion.
A further advantage of the invention is the ability to monitor the amount of silage removed by each sequence, thereby allowing the amount of silage used per day to be easily calculated and known.
The present invention is a silage cutter and loader having a revolving beater, a vertical frame on which the beater is mounted, a revolving cross auger positioned near ground level, a conveyor and one or more specially designed wheel assemblies that allow lateral movement. The revolving beater and cross auger span the entire width of the machine, allowing the machine to remove a full width of silage with a single motion. A gasoline engine drives a hydraulic pump that supplies hydraulic power for all operations of the machine. Hydraulic valves in a central control panel allow the operator to control all operations from the driver""s seat.
The machine is first positioned with the revolving beater raised and the cross auger abutting the silage to be removed. The machine may be driven up to the silage in the same fashion as a conventional silage removing machine, and a container may be placed to catch freed material. As the revolving beater lowers onto the silage, it loosens and frees material packed into the bunker. Freed material falls to the cross auger, where it is moved to the central conveyor and carried away.
When the revolving beater has finished its downward ravel, the drive wheels may be turned perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the machine, allowing lateral movement along the face of the bunker. The beater may be raised, and the machine and the container may be repositioned quickly. The beater is again lowered, and the sequence may be repeated until an appropriate amount of material is removed.
The machine removes approximately the same amount of material with each downward motion, thereby allowing the amount of material used per day to be easily monitored.
These and other features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent in the descriptions that follow.